Last post I argued that optimum B2B sales management system development includes setting visit activity rates as a benchmark, not a target. In other words, a level modest enough to be meaningful, but sets a minimum standard that must be achieved…not an upper end target. I then argued that in the same sense, the visit frequencies applied to classified customers and profiled prospects should be also set at a level that honours the benchmark-not target principle.

Put simply, when you set the visit frequency for “tier 1” customers as monthly; quarterly for “tier 2”, etc as an example, communicate this to the team as the minimum benchmark…not a target. Implication = more than that number can be done on any specific customers in that class, as deemed appropriate by the sales exec. On that basis, if the number, eg monthly, now seems to high as a minimum benchmark for all customer of that class to be visited, then lower the number. Lower it to the number that is appropriate as a minimum benchmark for all customer of that class. Honouring the same principle as setting the visit activity rate at a minimum benchmark…to which a higher activity rate is fine and at the sales exec’s judgement…but below benchmark is neither fine, nor negotiable. If 20 per week then becomes too high as a minimum benchmark, because that is what you have been setting as a target, then lower it.

Finally, in making these decisions, circle back and run the possibilities through the “law of gravity equation” aka the sales team optimisation equation, to ensure that the left hand side is in balance with the right hand side.